One Day
by piratesmiley
Summary: P/O. "It should be quiet for at least a few days, right? Ella could milk Gene, or something."


A/N: Fluff, anyone?

Disclaimer: I don't own Fringe.

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It's the most stressful thing Olivia's done in months, surprisingly: Take Your Niece to Work Day. Well, not exactly that, obviously. Rachel was up for a big job interview, though, and, not to be insensitive, but Olivia was ready for her to be back on her feet. So she was more than happy taking Ella to the lab for the day.

They had just finished a big case. It should be quiet for at least a few days, right? Ella could milk Gene, or something. She was sure Peter wouldn't mind helping to watch after her; he was good with her, and it would be a welcome relief from chaperoning his father.

_Maybe he'll play piano for her_.

But then she got the call, because for Olivia Dunham, life could never be easy. Always exciting, but simplicity isn't a given when you're fighting bioterrorists.

Olivia flipped her phone shut, telling the others what had happened, and then turned to Ella, who had been resting on Gene's back and brushing her fur. "Sweetheart, I have to run out for a little while. Can you stay here for a little while?" Olivia pulled her down from the cow.

Ella complied, sitting down with her coloring books. But when she realized that seventy-five percent of her playmates were leaving instead of just Aunt Liv, she grew upset. She got up from her place and ran towards the door. "I want to go with Peter," Ella pouted.

Olivia, slightly taken aback at the easy sting of the child's rejection, started to protest, but the man in question stepped forth.

"Aw," Peter said, swooping her up airplane-style and setting her on the table, inducing giggles. "I have to go with your Aunt Liv."

"Why?"

"Because, if I don't, she'll get hurt. Liv is a very good person, so she wants to help everybody all the time. Sometimes that means she gets hurt."

"So she gets hurt a lot?" The miniature's sadness was the most genuine thing he'd seen in a long time; _genuine_ most definitely must run in the family.

"Not with me around." He quelled the fear and brought a smile back to Ella's lips.

Olivia smiled, mollified and charmed. He had managed to deny an adorable child, tell the _truth _(his own version, at least), and make it all better in the span of thirty seconds. She walked away, knowing he'd handle it. Besides, Walter had wandered off. Again. He should probably be relocated so they could leave…

"So _you're_ the knight?" Ella asked excitedly.

"What knight?"

"You're the knight who saves the princess."

Peter repressed a laugh. Olivia was anything but a princess, and _knight_ seemed a little too gallant to describe what Peter was doing here, but he wasn't going to spoil the kid's fairytale. "Sure."

"Are you going to kiss her then?"

_Uh oh. _"Ella, I don't think she'd let me do that."

"Why not? You're the knight in _shining armor_!"

Suddenly there wasn't an obvious answer.

"Because…well, because it's _complicated_."

"Well, why is it _complicated_?" she mimicked.

"Well, because…sometimes a princess isn't sure who her knight is. And if I were to kiss her, than she wouldn't be able to find out for herself."

"Oh." Ella seemed to take this in very seriously. Then, wistfully: "I can't wait to be a princess."

"Princess?" Olivia questioned, returning with Walter in tow.

"I met a princess once!" The mad scientist piped up, although he was mostly focused on an ice cream Olivia had used as bait to bring him back.

"Did you kiss her?" Ella asked, as if administering some sort of test.

"Why, yes, I did, child, although—"

"So you're her knight!" She interjected.

"_Yes._" Peter said, nodding quickly, before Walter could open his mouth again. His father had his I-fondly-remember-my-sexual-conquests-face on, and poor Ella didn't need that.

"What are you talking about, Ella? Princesses and knights?" Olivia asked, throwing a look to Peter.

"Oh, Aunt Liv," Ella sighed theatrically, exasperated. She placed a hand on Olivia's shoulder and displayed wisdom beyond her years: "You'll understand _one _day_._"


End file.
